Ferry carrying 133 passengers and crew sinks off Guyana coast

A distress call was received at 23:01 local time (03:01 GMT Sunday) triggering a search operation involving government teams and privately-owned boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said.

The captain has since returned to the area to assist the "significantly increased" rescue operation, he added, as crews more than doubled their search area on Sunday.

Sixty-seven people have so far been rescued after a ferry carrying 116 passengers and 17 crew sunk off the coast of Guyana, local officials have said.